Read more…(Pilot Proficiency Center)
All of the Redbird LD simulators will be capable of presenting LOC (loss of control) training scenarios, and Redbird Flight Simulations has updated the Navigator instructor station with a new interface that has more options. The PPC will be open Saturday and Sunday before the show for CFI orientation and training. Pilot training sessions will be one-hour blocks including pre and post flight briefings. Each instructor will be assigned a specific simulator station for their shift, which will serve as their “office” for conducting the pre and post flight briefings as well as for flying the scenarios. Along with SAFE, sponsors for this year’s EAA Pilot Proficiency Center are EAA IMC Club, Hartzell Propellers, Redbird Flight Simulations, AOPA, Jeppesen, Community Aviation, Mindstar Aviation, NAFI and PilotEdge.
Read more…(CFI Shortage)
In the well-balanced article, Van Dam quoted Louis Smith, president of Future and Active Pilot Advisors (FAPA) explaining that part of the issue is what Smith calls “the poach chain,” where regional airlines capture local CFIs who reach the magic number of 1,000 or 1,500 hours, but are then shortly poached by major airlines.
The article is based on a GAO study issued in May that surveyed 147 collegiate aviation schools, of which 46 operated under FAR Part 61 and 101 under Part 141. The study said that the supply of new pilots is not reaching the expected demand and that nearly all the schools interviewed cited recruiting and retaining new CFIs as a great or moderate challenge, along with the cost of training.
Given little attention in the Post article was the contribution by Congress to the CFI shortage. Following the 2009 Colgan crash in New York attributed to deficiencies in pilot training, Congress instituted a rule requiring all first officers on airlines to have an ATP, which requires a minimum of 1,500 hours. During the hearings, the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) testified that the pilot shortage had little to do with anything but abysmally low salaries paid by regional airlines.
At the same time, the number of young people interested in learning to fly has ticked up significantly after years of declining interest. Online aviation training outfit BoldMethod reports that there were 20,620 more student pilots in 2017 than in 2016.
Read more…(ForeFlight)
The enhancement shows a side view of controlled, MOA, SUA, and TFR airspaces, with details including altitudes, airspace type, and TFR effective times. The main map automatically zooms to and highlights the airspace, showing exactly where your route intersects from a top-down perspective. A related new feature, the Automatic Airspace Highlight, considers the flight’s climb, cruise, and descent trajectory to highlight airspace near the aircraft or along the route of flight. All other airspace dims to reduce visual clutter on the map. This feature works in both planning mode on the ground and in flight. Foreflight, one of SAFE’s earliest and most consistent supporters, offers SAFE members a full one-third off the regular $199.99 yearly license cost of their mobile app. “If you do the math, you’ll see that Foreflight discount is incredibly generous,” said Kevin D Murphy, SAFE Communications Director. “For the Pro Plus subscription, it’s $66 off, which more than pays for a $45 yearly SAFE regular membership. Not a SAFE member yet? You can fix that.”
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